“How to enhance relations with our international clients” is a presentation made for the Business English Day at Centro de Emprendedores, Ayuntamiento de Alicante. You can learn how to work with a translator or interpreter. You can get advice to work with international clients.

1. “How to enhance relations with our
international clients”
Business English Day
15th June 2012
Michelle Naylor
Covadonga Ordoñez

2. Your international relations
• Describe your company’s business activity and ask
each other about your international business dealings:
• Which countries do you or would like to have relations with ?
• In what capacity? Clients, suppliers, partner…. etc.
• Do you have a department in your company that deals with your
international partners directly? If not, how do you communicate
with them?
• Do you have a web page? If so, is it available in English or any
other language? Who translated it?
• Have you encountered any problems due to language barriers or
cultural misunderstandings? If so, please describe them.

3. Useful tools to enhance relations with
our international clients:
• How to work with an interpreter/translator.
• Intercultural skills in business. A cultural
approach to doing business with foreign
clients.
• Languages ​as a tool to strengthen ties.

4. How to work with an
interpreter/translator.
• What’s the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
• Have you ever worked with a translator or interpreter?
• Was it a positive or negative experience? Why?
• Many people think translating and interpreting services are an
unnecessary expense and are reluctant to pay for this type of
professional service. What is your opinion?

7. General tips for working with
translators/interpreters
1. First impressions count. Remember that a person
with knowledge of a foreign language is not
necessarily a translator/interpreter, even if it’s your
wife, husband, cousin or whatever.
3. A translator/interpreter may know a lot but they
don’t know everything! Provide them with as much
background information as possible.
5. Your translators/interpreters are your voice and their
job is to transmit your message. Make them feel a
valued part of your team

8. Specific tips for meeting
Foreign Visitors I
1. Have your business cards printed in your visitor’s language.
3. Take the time to have any correspondence, presentations or any other
supporting material translated into your client’s by a professional.
5. Learn a few simple short phrases in your visitor’s language to use at the
beginning and end of your presentation.
7. If you are going to use an interpreter, meet them face-to-face before the
event to get to know each other and to give you time to explain details
of your company, its products, objectives of the meeting etc.
9. There are different types of interpreting (consecutive, simultaneous,
whispering), make sure you know which one you need and what it
involves

9. Specific tips for meeting
Foreign Visitors II
6. Provide the interpreter with all materials that will be used in the
meeting/conference in advance including names and titles of visitors,
participants, companies, etc.
7. If possible, introduce the interpreter to your visitors or speakers at a
conference.
5. Ensure that the interpreter has good visibility of the speaker/s and any
visual material, that there is no interference with sound, that they are
comfortable and have plenty of water.
7. Always speak to the audience, not the interpreter.
10. Make sure the participants know that an interpreter is present and ask
them to speak clearly and not to overlap each other. All participants
should make use of a microphone to ensure the interpreter can hear
them clearly.

10. Intercultural skills in business.
• Personal space
• Greetings
• Gift-giving
• Protocol
• Conversational do’s and don’ts

11. Languages ​as a tool to strengthen ties.
• "A different language is a different vision of
life." - Federico Fellini, Italian film director
• Learning another language gives the learner
the ability to step inside the mind and context
of that other culture.
• A person competent in other languages can
bridge the gap between cultures and
successfully engage in international trade.

13. 10 Golden Rules
1. Avoid making instant judgments or assumptions about people from different cultures
regarding their working style
2. Try to do some research on any culture you will be working with
3. Try to understand how your leadership style might be viewed through the eyes of team
members from different cultures – they may view your style as bizarre
4. Remember that not all problems encountered in international situations are the result of
cultural differences – the issues could be personality-based, technical or commercial
5. Just because people do things differently in another country does not mean that they are
necessarily wrong.
6. A good idea is a good idea regardless of where it originates – you do not have all the
answers
7. Not all ideas from head office are good ideas
8. Not all ideas from head office are bad ideas
9. When communicating with people who are speaking a second language, do not over-
estimate their linguistic abilities. Just because they are good at a second language does not
mean they are perfect!
10. Teams and organisations that are at ease with themselves and co-operate well across the
cultures will prosper in an increasingly global economy.

14. Thank you very much for your
participation.
info@csidiomas.ua.es
traduccion@csidiomas.ua.es